1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a technique for executing facsimile transmission over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Facsimile transmission entails conversion of an image obtained by a sending-side terminal into audio signals and the transmission thereof to a receiving-side terminal over an audio transmission line. In recent years, besides the conventional telephone wire network, a telephone network using the Internet called “IP telephone network” has come to be used as this audio transmission line. For example, JP2003-309701A discloses a facsimile transmission apparatus that executes facsimile transmission over a network achieved with transmission of audio signals over an IP telephone network. In this Specification, “facsimile transmission” refers to the transmission of an image, while “facsimile transmission apparatus” or “facsimile apparatus” refers generally to any apparatus that carries out image transmission.
Where facsimile transmission is to be performed, the various processes executed by the sender or receiver of the facsimile transmission, such as image input/output, and call control, must be performed in a prescribed sequence. Consequently, in the facsimile transmission apparatus, an image input/output unit and a facsimile sending/receiving unit are controlled by a single controller.
However, where the image input/output unit and the facsimile sending/receiving unit are controlled by a single controller, the control operation of the controller become complex to simultaneously control the operations of the image input/output unit and the facsimile sending/receiving unit. Furthermore, in a scanner/printer/copier multifunction peripheral (termed generally an “MFP”), facsimile transmission may be impossible, or the MFP may require remodeling to provide a facsimile transmission function.